Piece By Piece
by Amerihawk
Summary: A collection of one-shots based upon the lives of Steve and Bucky and all of their adventures. Through love, loss, anger, confusion and friendship, two super-soldiers from Brooklyn learn that all they need is each other.
1. Napkins

Chapter 1- Napkins

* * *

Basically, it was all Clint's fault.

Or, rather, Clint should have been thanked. But nobody was to know that when the night started.

The four settled at their usual booth, Natasha sliding in first, followed by Clint, then Bucky, then Steve. Steve was always on the end because he always needed to slip out and use the bathroom, usually to wash his hands or get a paper towel after a clumsily drunk Clint spilled his drink all over Natasha or Bucky.

The four would usually just go there purely to drink and wash away the troubles of avenging the world and protecting its inhabitants. Tony sometimes followed along, but he was usually too preoccupied in his lab with Bruce to join them outside of the tower. Thor never joined them after that one night when he drank five times as much as any of them and was demanding more, even when the bartender cut him off. He was so confused and frustrated that only Natasha and Steve could hold him back from being disruptive to everyone around them.

So from that moment on, it was just the four of them. Often, Tony joked that they were double-dating, and all four would protest vehemently. Not because the idea of dating the other was repulsive, just because it wasn't happening.

Well, not _yet_ anyway.

Clint and Natasha _would_ go on to date for a long time before splitting up and remaining the close friends they had always been without any damage to their unique bond.

And Steve and Bucky? Well, that was where the story started.

"I feel like doing something different tonight," Clint announced, finishing off his triple vodka with red bull like a professional. Natasha always requested more vodka than mixer in her glasses and when the bartender had looked at her the first time, she had shrugged and simply said "I'm Russian". Now, Jeremy had the good sense to overload her drinks with vodka. Now, she just drank it straight with no mixer. Bucky would too and Nat was glad to have somebody with her. Steve _could_ have joined in, but he hated the taste of vodka and he couldn't get drunk anyway, so what was the point? Plus, Clint didn't want to seem like the weaker man for adding various mixers to his alcoholic beverage.

Natasha frowned at him. "You want to cheat on the bar and go somewhere else? Well, you can explain that to Jeremy."

Clint shook his head quickly. "No, not that. This place is great. I just mean that we always just sit and drink and offload about our lives. Maybe we should make things interesting." He gave her a look that neither Steve nor Bucky could interpret, but she had a twinkle in her eye after that.

"I see. What would you suggest?"

"Let's wait for the night to move on a little. I have a feeling a lot more alcohol is needed."

Steve and Bucky shared a strange look, but ignored it as Jeremy brought over some more drinks for the table. The night went on as usual, each of them telling unique mission stories.

"So, one time I was in London on an intel collection mission," Steve recounted with a smile. "Fury had labelled it of high importance that I wasn't to be spotted. I thought that would be obvious, but apparently I needed to be told again.

"So I'm walking around London, trying not to appear out of the ordinary as I notice how much everything has changed. I'm standing by this newspaper stand when this guy comes up to me and starts flirting. And I mean like _flirting_. I usually don't recognise when people are flirting with me, but this time it was obviously. I was a little perturbed, because I've literally never seen a guy flirt with another guy on a busy city street."

Clint smirked, as though a lightbulb had just appeared over his head. "Did you flirt back?" He sent a silent message of some variety to Natasha, who nodded, eyes trained on Bucky. He was stoic, jaw clenched and his metal hand was clenched into a tight fist.

Steve shrugged. "I don't even know. I answered his questions politely, but I don't know what flirting looks like these days. Eventually, I made an excuse to leave. I guess I just wasn't really into him. It showed me how much I need to improve flirting if I'm ever going to find someone."

Bucky smirked. "I'll drink to that," he said and downed his drink.

A few seconds later, Clint jumped in with his idea. "Why don't you two have a contest? See how many phone numbers you can get tonight. See who's better at flirting?"

Steve looked at Bucky, who frowned. "That's like asking a fish and a giraffe to have a swimming contest," the latter said with a smirk.

"You're not a giraffe, James," Natasha pouted hilariously. Clint banged his hand against the table, laughing. Steve rolled his eyes and turned to Bucky.

"Well I suppose _you're_ up for this. Fine, whatever. How long do we have and what are the rules?"

Clint checked his S.H.I.E.L.D watch and shrugged. "We'll leave around two thirty. Spend as long as you want trying. Whoever gets the most napkins at the end of the night, wins. Whoever loses has to do a forfeit that Nat and I will decide while you're gone."

Steve slid out of the booth and helped Bucky out. "No hard feelings when I win, Barnes."

"Do you even _remember_ the forties? I was surrounded by eligible suitors. You don't stand a chance, Rogers."

Natasha sighed at their horrible trash talk and got their attention. "So you've got three hours. Go!"

Steve and Bucky scrambled off to go and find their first targets. Clint turned to Natasha smugly.

"How much of a genius am I? Go on, you can admit it."

"If it works, then I'll admit it. Now let's make this more interesting. Let's place a bet on who's going to win."

Clint rubbed his hands together. "Fifty dollars?"

"One hundred."

Clint shrugged. "Okay, deal. My money's on Steve. Sure, Bucky's hot and all, but Steve's more people's type."

"But we know Bucky's better at the flirting thing. Steve never knows quite what to say."

"Still, I'm betting on Steve."

"They're going to tie and end up making out in the bathroom."

Clint frowned. "That's very specific, how could you possibly know that?"

"Just a hunch."

Bucky smiled warmly at the guy rooted around for his phone. That was almost too easy. _People are so eager these days_ , Bucky thought as the guy copied down his number. Bucky folded the napkin into his pocket and smiled. "Thanks, I'll make sure to give you a call." The guy nodded and returned to his friends. Bucky stalked around the room looking for someone else. Steve was never going to win this.

Steve, actually, was doing rather well. He had charmed a girl into buying him a drink and then she had given him her phone number. Steve felt a little bad about not actually pursuing any of the people he had met tonight any further, but he guessed that was part of the game. He looked over by chance and saw Bucky with his regular arm on a guy's shoulder at the bar. Steve grew uncontrollably…well, he didn't know exactly what. It was a strong emotion and all he knew was that he did _not_ want Bucky to be touching anyone but him!

Oh.

 _Oh._

Steve quickly parted ways with the unnamed girl and strode past Bucky, latching onto his metal arm and hoisting him along to the bathroom.

Bucky coughed. "Steve, what the hell? I'm pretty sure that intercepting me is cheating!"

Steve entered the somehow empty bathroom and pressed Bucky against the wall.

"What are you—?"

Bucky was cut off by Steve slamming his lips into his own, fiercely and tightly. Steve's fingers ran through his hand and he bit down gently on Bucky's bottom lip, pulling away with a smirk.

"Fucking hell, Steve. Where did you learn to do _that_?"

Steve eyed him pointedly. "Seriously? That's your first question?"

He grinned. "Well, I want to send a muffin basket to whomever taught you to kiss like that."

"Can I kiss you again?"

"Stevie, you can kiss me anytime you like. I mean it."

Steve laughed. "I'll definitely take you up on that, Buck." Steve immediately pressed his lips to Bucky's neck, sucking on the tender skin as Bucky ran a hand down his back. Bucky redirected Steve's lips to his own, sliding his hands up Steve's shirt and feeling the warm, solid muscle that came with being a super soldier.

"Someone's getting a little bit frisky," Steve chuckled as he pulled away once more, very reluctantly.

"I finally got you all to myself, Steve. I'm not gonna let that one go in a hurry." Bucky eyed Steve's arm in between his legs. "Neither are you, apparently."

"I dragged you in here because something clicked, Buck. I saw you talking to that guy and touching on him and I got so mad that it wasn't me you were touching."

"And now you can't get enough. I'm so good at flirting I even attracted the competition."

Steve chuckled darkly. "Fuck the competition," he said and resumed with the oh so delightful kissing.

"I think I just might," Bucky mumbled seductively.

Everything was blissful and perfect until they heard a voice.

"I knew it!" Natasha cheered triumphantly. "You owe me a hundred big ones, Barton."

Clint frowned. "Wait. This is great you two, really, we're happy for you but we need to know how many napkins you each got."

"Oh. For the little bet of yours, I presume?" Steve glared at them.

They pulled apart and rifled through the various napkins that they had both collected.

Bucky smiled. "Twenty six."

Clint raised his eyebrows, impressed, but looked at Steve eagerly. "Rogers?"

"Twenty seven," he said shortly. "Can I get back to kissing my boyfriend now?"

"Boyfriend, eh?" Bucky smirked. "That sounds like something I can do."

Natasha was furious. "Barnes, you idiot! You were supposed to be good at this!" She slapped him around the head. "Come on, we're leaving. You two can go back to your floors and do whatever unholy thing you feel like, but, Bucky, you're so making this up to me in the morning."

As the two walked out of the bathroom, Clint poked Steve's chest.

"I knew you wouldn't let me down, Cap!" Clint fell against the wall, apparently too inebriated to stand.

Steve chuckled and raised an eyebrow at Clint. "Do you need carrying, Agent Barton?"

Clint shook his head, but clearly he did need carrying because Steve hoisted him into a fireman's lift and began to leave the bathroom.

Clint laughed slightly and slapped Steve's ass firmly. "You got one hell of an ass, Cap. If you're not putting that to good use tonight, it'll be a crime against men everywhere."

Steve skipped the surprise he supposed he should have felt, but it was Clint and things like that were bound to slip out of his mouth, especially when drunk.

Besides, it wasn't like he was didn't have a good point. Steve was definitely putting it to good use tonight. He needed Bucky more than ever and found himself walking more quickly to catch up with the other two.

Clint sighed. "I think I'm going to throw up."

Steve gritted his teeth and prayed that would not happen, putting Clint down gently and slinking an arm around the archer's shoulders. "You good?"

"Yep, I can totally walk."

Steve rolled his eyes at the blatant lie as the car that Tony arranged for them appeared. Natasha guided Clint into the front with her while Steve and Bucky took the back.

The two men looked at each other intensely.

"This is really happening isn't it?"

Steve's hand ran along Bucky's strong thigh as their lips met for a short kiss. Both were smiling brightly, as though they should have noticed their feelings a very long time ago and done something about it then.

"It only took about eighty years."

"I knew I loved you back then, you know. I just didn't know what you would say. You were very traditional in the forties."

Steve sighed. "If only we'd have discovered everything so much more quickly."

"Well we're here now and that's what counts. We're together and nothing can break us."

Steve figured that he might as well say it. "I love you, Bucky Barnes."

Bucky leaned in and smirked. "I love you, Steve Rogers."


	2. Late Night Talks

Chapter 2- Late Night Talks

* * *

Steve usually enjoyed Clint's annual sleepovers to celebrate the end of the school year. It was very taxing for them in junior year and that was finally over. Before moving forward to their final year of high school, Clint had promised them the best sleepover yet.

By 'them', Steve means their group. They've been tight since middle school and show no signs of letting the end of high school rip them apart.

There's Steve, of course, and his childhood best friend, James Barnes. He preferred to be called 'Bucky', even though people insisted it was a silly name that he should have dropped already. Bucky stuck by it and, eventually, the criticism died down. There was Steve's old next-door neighbour, Bruce Banner and his friend, Thor. Shortly after, Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff had joined the group, but to this day nobody can remember how. Tony Stark and Sam Wilson were the last to latch onto them, Steve and Bucky introducing them to everyone through their art classes after school.

Steve and Bucky had been attached at the hip since infancy. Their parents were friends back in the day and their mothers had become pregnant around the same time. It had been a happy accident and they knew that their children would be an inseparable as they themselves were.

Their bond only grew stronger when Steve's parents died.

Steve had been a mess and Bucky was the only one in his life who understood. His dad had been killed just a few years prior and Steve had helped him through it, not realising he was going to be suffering through the same pain in a few years' time. Bucky was his rock, a dependable friend and someone who put him before anybody else in his life. Steve often vocalised his stubborn thoughts that Bucky shouldn't have had to stay around him while he was grieving, but Bucky dismissed them and called his mother to let Steve stay with them instead of being sorted out by an orphanage. That was Steve's worst nightmare and Mrs. Barnes was more than happy to provide Steve shelter.

Steve and Bucky shared a bedroom together every day after that. Mrs. Barnes often wondered if they were ever going to get together romantically and she waited every day for the announcement. Ever since her son had come out to her, months after hearing from Steve's mother that Steve had done the same, she was confused. Neither seemed to know of their best friend's orientation. Whether that was down to fear of backlash or rejection she didn't know. She only knew what some teenage boys could be like, even though they weren't her boys. She definitely considered Steve as a son of hers, though she knew she wasn't his mother. She was under no misconceptions about that, even if Steve was a lovely boy, Bucky was the pride and joy of her entire life.

Steve and Bucky got to the sleepover first, greeting Clint and thanking whoever was responsible that his parents were out of town that weekend.

"When's everybody else getting here?" Bucky wondered as he set his stuff down in Clint's room.

Clint shrugged. "Nat and Sam are getting here the latest, I think. Something about a detour. You understand if I didn't ask too many questions about that one."

Steve and Bucky exchanged a look and smirked. Sam and Natasha were the worst kept secret at their school.

"Tony's picking up Bruce and Thor along the way and they should be here anytime soon. Tony's raiding his uncle's liquor cabinet for us. Bruce is bringing more food. Should be a wild night."

Bucky sank into one of the armchairs. "Thank god, that's exactly what we all need. Junior year has been kicking my ass. The SATs were torture enough alone."

Clint made a sound of agreement. "Sure were. What do you two feel like doing tonight anyway?"

Steve shrugged. "Drink, dance, talk about senior year, play some games. What we do at every one of these things."

"Aye, aye Captain," Clint smirked and mock saluted Steve, who rolled his eyes and sat in the chair next to Bucky's.

Clint brought a small amount of snacks into the living room to be slowly eaten until Tony, Thor and Bruce arrived with more. The three idly chatted about trivial things, including Sam and Natasha's recent hook-ups and what that meant for their group dynamic. "They're gonna want a couple to double date with."

And if Clint saw Steve and Bucky exchange an unintentionally identical look, he said absolutely nothing about it.

Steve knew that he wanted himself and Bucky to be that double date couple. He'd known ever since he was a kid. Bucky was his everything, always there, always lovely. As they grew up, and Steve moved into the Barnes residence, he became much more aware of Bucky. He had tried to stop sharing a bed with him in order to keep the feelings away, but Bucky had won that particular argument about how he had been so accustomed to Steve's presence while he slept that he couldn't sleep alone anymore. This was also around the time when Bucky began to grow into his painfully good looks. He had always been handsome, but puberty had really done something for him. He had filled out, developed muscles in all the right places and decided to let a little bit of stubble grow on his face. Steve thought it was a good decision and it definitely was, judging by the way Steve's heart stopped every time Bucky so much as even looked at him. Steve wondered when he was going to stop sounding like a Katy Perry lyric generator.

Bucky didn't know why Steve was looking at him at the same time he was looking at Steve. A small seed of hope sprouted in his mind concerning requited feelings, but Bucky let that slide. He couldn't be _there_ again: analysing Steve's language and behaviour for any signs of his possible love for Bucky. He had spent three years of his life hoping that Steve would say something. When he came out to his mother, Bucky had revealed that it was because of Steve that he found the strength to say something about him being gay. When his mother had questioned that, Bucky had explained further.

" _If Steve ever so much as looks as me that way, I'm all in. And if he does, I need to be ready. No fear of coming out, no doubts about anything. I need to be ready to hold his hand and tell him that I love him without worrying about what other people are saying. So I'm doing this now, so I can be prepared for anything that might happen. Not that Steve's gay, of course, but I guess I can dream. Maybe there are such things are exceptions."_

 _Mrs. Barnes said nothing about how Steve was bisexual and probably also crushing on his best friend, just as Bucky was. It wasn't her place to say anything. As much as she would have loved to see the smile on Bucky's face once he realised his feelings were mutual, Steve had to be the one to do that. She knew one of them would at some point, it was just a matter of_ when _._

Ever since that day, Bucky had been waiting for any sign of Steve being into boys. Even though he hadn't told Steve about himself, for reasons Bucky hated himself for, Bucky hoped that if anything was ever to happen, Steve would make the move. He was terrified of putting his feelings on the line for Steve to brutally reject him and finding a new place to live out of discomfort, even though that didn't seem like a Steve thing would do.

"Hey, you two okay? You've both gone really quiet," Clint observed, snapping Bucky out of his daze about Steve.

"Yeah, just caught up in my thoughts," Steve answered, reaching for the snacks.

As if on cue, the door opened.

"Well there'll be no time for that now that the party is here!" Clint yelled, skipping to the door to help Tony, Bruce and Thor with their things.

* * *

Steve lay still, eyes blinking rapidly in the darkness. Alcohol whipped through his veins and made his head spin, though not as much as he thought it would. He was a big guy and apparently he wasn't as drunk as Clint had set out for him to be. He felt Bucky sleeping next to him and it only made his head spin more. The more he concentrated on it, the less he could hear Bucky's slow and steady breathing.

"Can't sleep either?" Bucky whispered into the darkness and felt Steve's arm brush against his.

"No, the alcohol is keeping me awake. I'm kinda thirsty, though, you wanna come and get some water with me? So I don't fall down on the way," Steve added, as though Bucky going with him for any other reason was stupid.

Bucky chuckled. He was much better at holding his alcohol than Steve and wasn't feeling much of a buzz from it. He'd still had a wonderful night, though, just hanging with his friends. "Sure, Rogers, that's what I'm here for. I'm your sober sponsor."

"Shut up, I had three drinks!"

Bucky scoffed quietly. "If by three you mean seven, then yeah. Let's go with that."

Ignoring that, Steve stood up, Bucky assisting him. Steve tried not to think about the warm hand on his upper arm or the hand on his back. Bucky tried not to think about the fact that he was holding the love of his life and that he never wanted to let go.

Walking into the kitchen, the boys both grabbed a seat, Bucky filling up two glasses with ice water from the refrigerator.

"Drink this," Bucky instructed and Steve gulped the whole glass in one go. Suffering from the brain freeze, Steve winced and clenched his jaw tightly.

"Ugh, I hate that."

"Maybe you shouldn't have gulped it so fast."

Steve slapped him on the arm lightly and the silence washed over them. "What's keeping you up, anyway? You're usually dead to the world at this point."

Bucky sighed. "Just thinking about stuff. You know, what happens after senior year, that sort of thing."

Steve smiled. "We'll all still be together, I know that. Even though most of us are leaving New York, it'll work out, I promise. Anyway, if things go our way at least we'll both still be in the city after next year. You're still applying to Cornell, right?"

Bucky nodded. "I doubt I'll even get in, but I'm sure as hell going to try. You're still set on Columbia?"

"Absolutely. The guidance counsellor thinks I should send out for Dartmouth, too, but I'm not as receptive to leaving New York."

"Well, hopefully we'll still be in New York. It'd be so weird not being in the same state as you."

"I know what you mean. We've been roommates and best friends for so long that I can't imagine being away from you."

Steve bravely slipped his hand into Bucky's. It wasn't uncommon for them to idly hold hands sometimes, in times of comfort, but the situation was almost electrically charged so Steve needed to be careful not to give anything away.

 _You know what?_ Steve thought to himself. _Fuck it. He needs to know._

Bucky was thinking along the same lines. _I can't keep this a secret for much longer._

They shared intense eye contact for a few seconds before both of them inhaled simultaneously.

"Bucky, I love you."

"Steve, I love you."

Speaking at the same time, they gaped at each other.

"What?" They chorused, laughing afterwards.

"Right, one of us needs to speak first."

Steve nodded. "I'll go. Bucky, I've loved you ever since I can remember. At first, it didn't matter that you were a boy, because we were kids and we did everything together. As we got older, I started to love even more. After my parents' funeral, I realised just how much I needed you. You were my rock and you still are this day. It wasn't until a few years ago that I realised I thought of you romantically and that scared me because I didn't know how you would react. Though the way your mom looks at me sometimes, I think she figured it out."

Bucky chuckled, because that just like his mother to know before either of them did. "It feels so good to hear you say that, Steve. Is it weird to say that what you said applies to me, too? When your parents died, I saw how broken you were. It was the first time I'd seen you cry properly and it cut me in half. All I knew then was that I didn't want to see you upset anymore. I wanted to hold you and kiss you and tell you that everything would be okay and I wanted to be the one who could make sure you were never hurt ever again. I never thought you'd be sitting in front of me and saying that you love me too."

Steve frowned. "Bucky, how could anybody not fall in love with you?"

Bucky found himself without words, for once in his life, so he smiled brightly and leaned forward, pressing his lips carefully against Steve's, feeling the nervous sensation that had bubbled in his stomach intensify and turn into pure passion. Nothing felt better than feeling Steve push against him, deepening the kiss and making everything align in his favour. Steve's hand brushed Bucky's cheek and slipped around to grab the back of his neck, pulling him in closer. Bucky made a mewl of surprise as he fell onto Steve's lap, curling his legs around the chair tightly. Steve used both hands to support Bucky's back while Bucky grasped the collar of Steve's nightshirt, making the space between them as short as possible.

A short cough drifted into their peaceful bubble.

"Well, it looks like Natasha owes me twenty dollars," Clint smirked as he interrupted them.

Bucky groaned. "I knew you would bet on something like this."

Clint shrugged. "I'll buy you a soda or something with my winnings. Seriously, happy for you guys. Even though we're all sleeping downstairs, there are other rooms if you need some alone time."

Steve gaped. "We wouldn't do that in someone else's house!"

Clint laughed loudly. "It's not like I wouldn't want to watch that. Uh, I'll leave you guys to it." He left the room with a chuckle and Steve and Bucky looked at each other.

"Well, that was weird."

Steve laughed awkwardly. "I can't believe we've just done this."

"Oh, well how can I convince you that it's real?"

Steve hummed. "I don't know, maybe you can kiss me again and we'll see what's real."

Bucky licked his lips. "I'd love nothing more."


	3. Let's Cause A Little Trouble

Chapter 3- Let's Cause A Little Trouble

* * *

Everybody at school knew Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, though not as a unit. As two separate entities, two forces to be reckoned with.

Two highly skilled, highly arrogant delinquents.

They worked in different ways.

Steve worked with his natural intelligence, using logical reasoning to get him out of troubling situations and also using his inner strategist to plan disruptive activities without being caught a lot of the time. It worked brilliantly, until it didn't.

Bucky used his charm and finesse to get by in his life. Whenever he got caught, he would say nice things about the authority and schmooze his way out of a punishment. It worked a lot less reliably than Steve's methods, but they were on par all the same. Until Bucky found his tactic no longer having any effect on anybody of importance.

And that was how Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes found themselves in detention.

The _same_ detention.

Bucky had wreaked havoc with a fire extinguisher and Steve had been caught on the roof making a big display about the school's inadequacies. Two very different crimes but the very same punishment. It was just how the school's system worked.

They had decided to see if throwing the two biggest offenders in the same detention would make them cancel each other out. There was a fear that they would begin to team up, but nobody was more engrossed in rivalry that these two.

Until they weren't.

When Steve entered the room, Bucky was already sat at a desk, leaning back on the chair with his feet stretched out comfortably on the table in front of him and his eyes closed. They quickly opened at the noise and his lips jumped into a smirk when he saw Steve.

"Rogers. I never thought the king of the do-gooders would share the same detention room as me, the polar opposite."

Steve shook his head, taking a seat next to Bucky. "Detention is still detention, right? We're both here for a reason."

"Two very separate reasons, but yes you're right."

"What did you do this time?" Steve rolled his eyes.

Bucky clapped his hands, folding them over his chest as he leaned back. "Fire extinguisher, I'm very versatile in my methods. I know exactly what you did, however. Fighting for student rights, Steve? You could use your powers more effectively, for evil."

"For evil? You're not exactly Darth Vader, Barnes."

Bucky appraised him seriously, setting his chair on all four legs, tilting it to face Steve. "Bucky. Call me Bucky."

"Okay. _Bucky_. What do you say to leaving detention a little early tonight?"

"Are you coming onto me, Steve Rogers?"

"Just thinking of my sanity, that's all. Staying in here isn't preferable. I have shit to do."

"Shame."

"What?"

Bucky clicked his tongue. "I said it was a shame. That you weren't asking me out. Rumour has it you've got a big one and know how to use it."

Steve blushed.

"I mean your brain, idiot."

"Did you?" Steve asked knowingly.

"No," Bucky smirked, popping in a piece of chewing gum, wiggling his eyebrows seductively. "The swim team will tell you anything you want to know if you give them what they want."

"You screwed the entire swim team?" Not that Steve would be surprised if Bucky said yes. _Everybody_ wanted to fuck the boy, straight boys included. Rumours about Bucky's sexual prowess had flown through the school like wildfire. Steve wasn't going to pretend like he hadn't thought about sex with Bucky sometimes. Okay, a lot of the time.

"To get the information I wanted? Nah, just Thor. For recreational purposes? Fuck yeah! They've got great bodies and their stamina is unimaginable. Say, aren't you also on the swim team?"

Steve was suddenly interested in his shoelaces. "If I said no would you believe me?"

Bucky shook his head. "See, this is what I don't get about you, Steve. You're always so humble. There's so many great things about you, you should let yourself recognise them more often. You should gloat, sometimes. It's very therapeutic."

"I'm in _detention_ , Bucky. What could I possibly have to gloat about?" Steve asked, purposefully ignoring the first half of Bucky's sentence, mostly for the sake of his sanity. Bucky Barnes saying nice things about other people was mostly unheard of and Steve didn't want to be the one to change that.

Bucky chuckled. "The fact that you're in detention with _me_. It's a high honour that nobody else has achieved. You know, I think everyone pits us against each other as rivals, but think of what we could do, _together_."

Steve paused. "Was…was that a _Wicked_ reference?"

"Like I said. I'm _very_ versatile."

"Well, that was certainly unexpected. I bet you even sing the Glinda parts, don't you?"

Bucky blushed uncharacteristically and cleared his throat, deflecting from the question. "You said something about wanting to get out of detention early? I take it you have a plan to achieve this."

"Of course. I'm 'The Man With A Plan' remember?"

"Didn't that nickname die once you got caught while carrying out one of your plans?"

Steve smirked. "You got a Google Alert on me or something?"

"No such thing, you're not exactly incognito. You surely can't say that you don't hear about me from time to time." Steve could have sworn that Bucky edged his chair just a little bit closer to him. Maybe it was a trick of the light. Or maybe he needed an eye test.

He settled for a simple "I don't" and folded his arms in his lap. Was Bucky flirting?

"Now you're just being coy."

That seemed a lot like flirting.

"How so?"

"Come on, Rogers. You have to feel this too."

Steve swallowed heavily. "Feel…what?"

Bucky smirked, placing his hand on Steve's groin. "This."

Oh yeah. Bucky was definitely flirting with him. If not, this was the weirdest detention he'd ever experienced.

As soon as Bucky's hand made contact, Steve knew exactly what he wanted.

Not thinking twice, Steve closed the space between him and Bucky quickly, his lips pressing against the other boy's firmly. Bucky smiled against his lips and moaned into his mouth. Steve had always been good at kissing. Even though he had never ventured featured than that with anybody, the kissing was always stellar.

Bucky, it seemed, had some tricks up his sleeve too. His teeth quickly grasped Steve's bottom lip, gently brushing over it with just enough fervour to send sparks jolting through Steve's body, inevitably ending up pooling in Steve's crotch, tenting his pants slightly. Bucky noticed immediately and covered the clothed member with his large, calloused hand. Steve shifted upwards slightly and admitted to himself that he was extremely putty in Bucky's hands, literally and figuratively.

Steve's hands found the back of Bucky's neck, pulling him impossibly close. Bucky's breath hitched slightly as he slipped onto Steve's presented lap, wrapping his legs around the back of the chair. Steve got an idea and stood up, supporting Bucky's weight with his strong arms. Bucky grasped Steve's shoulder for leverage and pulled himself up slightly before reconnecting his ass with Steve's erection.

Bucky uncoiled his legs and stood his own two feet, Steve tilting chin to kiss him once more, with enough passion and heat to make Bucky a little weak in the knees. He finally pushed away from Steve, sitting back in his chair as Steve leaned against the desk next to him.

Bucky stroked his chin, licking his lips, tasting nothing but Steve.

"God, you have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that," he chuckled nervously.

Steve frowned. "So why didn't you?"

"I don't follow."

A wave of realisation swept over Steve. "Bucky, I've been flirting with you since we met. You can't tell me you haven't noticed it. I just thought you weren't interested."

"I thought you were just like that with everybody! You have a reputation for being the nice guy for a reason! You know, Steve Rogers: The People's Person!"

Steve became exasperated. The misunderstanding was so simple but it had kept he and Bucky from each other for so long now. "I…you're Bucky Barnes, the guy that everybody in this school would happily fuck, no matter what their sexuality. How did you not pick up on me flirting with you?"

"Maybe you're not that good at flirting," Bucky shrugged, grinning.

Steve quirked his left eyebrow. "You're forgetting I used to date Natasha Romanoff. How would I have won her over if I couldn't flirt?"

"Good point, actually. I tried wooing her once."

"Wooing? Really, Bucky?" Steve groaned dispassionately.

"What can I say, I'm a gentleman," Bucky shrugged expressively.

"You didn't seem too gentlemanly when your tongue was down my throat and your hand was on my crotch."

"Don't pretend you weren't loving it. I happen to be a very skilled kisser."

"Eh, you were okay I guess. Like all evaluations, I'm going to have to conduct a repeat of this investigation."

Bucky smirked. "Is this some kind of nerd flirting?"

"Shut the fuck up and kiss me, Barnes."

Bucky shook his head at the bluntness but couldn't pretend like it didn't turn him on immensely. Bucky kissed Steve with the same intensity as the first time, his tongue circling Steve's lips wetly. Steve grasped a fistful of Bucky's hair, holding him in place as he controlled the kiss. Bucky, just as quickly, regained control, conducting each movement and motion with finesse, hips rolling against Steve liked they were oiled. Steve growled into Bucky's mouth, driving the latter crazy. He had been hard for several minutes with not a lot of friction to soothe him. He wanted to laugh as he realised that was the way Steve wanted it. He wanted Bucky to crave satisfaction, making himself seem desperate and crazed as a result. He was definitely smart.

Steve's hand ghosted down Bucky's chest, under the thin material, feeling the warm, hard muscles Bucky possessed. Steve was surprised by the muscle mass he was feeling. Bucky definitely hid it particularly well. Steve's fingers tickled the spot above the point where Bucky's jeans started. He cruelly slipped a finger underneath the material, sliding it down until Bucky moaned loudly against him. As Bucky clenched, awaiting some kind of satisfaction, Steve retracted his hand completely, breaking the kiss and all of their contact.

They both panted, flushed and overwhelmed by how turned on they were.

"Not bad."

"Really? Because your dick seems to be telling a very different story."

"Maybe because you had your hand around it. You corrupted the experiment."

Bucky swatted Steve's arms and laughed, pinching his erect nipple that poked through his t-shirt. "Nerd. Also, you're a fucking tease, Rogers."

Steve just chuckled and kissed Bucky's lips once more, more chastely this time. There would be plenty of time for what they wanted to do. Plus, he really liked teasing the shit out of Bucky. Bucky was always so in control of every situation that it was nice to see him so vulnerable and submissive. It was actually really hot, but Steve wouldn't admit that to anybody.

From that moment on, everybody knew Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, but as a unit. Boyfriends, best friends, partners in crime. Their deeds would be done as a duo, making it harder for them to be punished. No matter what punishments they were given, they always found a way to overturn them. Steve began being a little more rebellious, while Bucky had a newfound respect for the good guys of the world, seeing how much good Steve actually did for the underdogs and the innocents.

Nobody really understood them. All they saw was the kissing and the random stints of time in the janitor's closet between classes. Nobody saw what was underneath: the mutual adoration, the emotional connection that the boys shared. And that was the way that wanted to keep it.

It was most definitely a match made in heaven.

Or, if you were a teacher or a position of authority at the local high school, it was most definitely a match made in hell.


	4. The Alternate

Chapter 4- Alternate

* * *

The sunlight streamed through the open window, the morning making Bucky's eyes flutter as the light hit him. Feeling the comforting presence behind him, he hummed contentedly. Wiggling back into Steve's grasp, his scantily clad ass nestling right where he liked it, he gasped when he felt something cold on his neck.

"Good morning, James."

That voice.

It wasn't Steve's at all.

Well, it _was_ , but it wasn't. And since when did _anyone_ who wasn't Nat call him 'James'?

It was harsher, more threatening and at least half an octave lower. Not the kind wake up greeting that Bucky was used to.

"Make a move and I cut."

Bucky gritted his teeth. "Steve, what the fuck? If this is some kind of game, I'm not playing."

"Of course you're playing. You have no choice, I have a knife to your throat. As you'll realise, your metal arm is no longer functioning and your flesh arm is holding my hand. Isn't that cute?"

"I don't…"

"Understand? That's not really my problem now, is it?" Steve snapped impatiently. "We have much to do today."

Bucky frowned in thought for a second before blinking harshly. "You do realise that Jarvis can see you."

A faint _ping_ sounded from the corner of the room.

"You mean Vision? Vision isn't here, James."

Bucky frowned once more. _Vision? What the fuck is a Vision? And what's wrong with Steve? This isn't him. First, he's trying to kill me and, second, he's rambling shit. Steve doesn't ramble unless he's nervous._

"I don't know what Vision is, so you're clearly insane."

"Oh, quite the opposite. I've finally awakened to what I was supposed to do with my new abilities. Wipe out the unworthy. I already did it once when you fell from the train and I _just_ couldn't reach you. Now I get to do it all over again."

A knock at the door made both of them pause.

"Steve? James? Everything alright in there? You guys missed breakfast."

"Don't say a word," Steve whispered, pressing the blade tighter into Bucky's skin.

"I know you guys aren't asleep. Okay, I'm coming in."

Steve quickly withdrew the blade and held it to his side. As quickly as Bucky's superhuman reflexes would allow him, he rolled off the bed and got to his feet, crouching slightly, watching Steve as Natasha barged in, electric guns by her side.

"What the hell's going on in here?"

Steve frowned, looking to Bucky. "Why don't you tell her, James?"

Natasha opened her mouth slightly. "Since when do you call him James?"

Steve shrugged. "Since always."

Bucky eyed Natasha pointedly. She nodded and held her wrist to her mouth, walking away. Bucky heard her talking to who he presumed was Tony, but could've been Clint. Thor was always doing Asgard stuff and Bruce was doing research in a country Bucky had never heard of before.

Steve made sure the coast was clear and whipped the knife out once more.

"Steve, seriously, what the fuck is going on?" Bucky tried to reason with him, but it was no use.

"No more interruptions." Steve ran to the door and slammed it shut. "Just you and me, James. The way it was supposed to be. No distractions." Steve sauntered towards Bucky with the knife stretched out. Bucky turned frantically and grasped the golf club from behind him, quickly realising that he was going to have to fight Steve…and fight him one handed. Already he was at a disadvantage. Though he had spent some time without an arm before, just not during hand to hand combat with a maniacal version of his boyfriend.

Steve lashed out with the knife and narrowly missed Bucky's bare chest. It was only then that Bucky realised he was fighting in just a tight pair of boxer briefs. Talk about disadvantaged. He and Steve had wrestled before, play-fighting in their underwear was a thing. But they were never out to hurt each other. This Steve (because they couldn't be the same person) was out to hurt and kill him and that made it a lot different.

Bucky side stepped the next advance and lunged at Steve with the club. It poked Steve in the chest, but he barely flinched. On a regular human that would've left a hefty bruise. But on Steve? Yeah, not so much.

Bucky's back hit the wall and he paused as he realised Steve was coming at him. Luckily, he predicted Steve's jab to the face and ducked, charging at Steve head on as he tried to pull the knife from the wall. Steve toppled over from the force of Bucky's attack and dropped the knife as he freed it. Bucky placed his legs either side of Steve's shoulders (a manoeuvre he was wholly used to, just under different circumstances thank you very much) trapping his arms and reached backwards and somehow grasped both of Steve's legs with his one arm. He felt rather useless with his metal arm out of play.

"If you weren't trying to kill me, this would be so hot."

At that very moment, Natasha rushed in with Tony _and_ Clint in tow and they all stopped at the scene in front of them.

"Wow," Clint nodded appreciatively. "Was this a ruse to get us to come in for an orgy? Cause I mean…"

"Clint," Natasha snapped, "this was not a trick. Steve is legitimately trying to kill him."

Steve struggled against Bucky's restraints with a grunt.

"Okay, but can someone come and help me pin him down?"

Clint chuckled as he rushed over. "Sounds like an orgy to me. Seriously, though, what's the issue with him?"

Tony brandished a strange looking device that Bucky had never seen before and scanned Steve's eyes with it.

"What's that do?" Bucky asked curiously.

"Checks for signs of possession. Developed it after the Loki situation."

Clint scoffed as he sat on Steve's legs, trying to stop the man from wiggling so much. "Could we not?"

Natasha knelt down by Steve's head. "Tell us who the fuck you are. I'm not asking."

Steve, however, was still looking at Tony. "How are you alive?"

Tony, very much taken aback, frowned. "I mean, the arc reactor that I…"

"Tony, I don't think that's what he means," Bucky interrupted. "How did Tony die, Steve?"

Steve swallowed. "He sacrificed himself during the Battle of New York and flew into the portal. He never came down again and Banner said that the atmosphere would have killed him in seconds."

Natasha groaned. "Not this."

"What?" The boys chorused.

"I had something like this once with Clint. This is Steve from another universe. One where Tony died and he wants to kill James. Let me guess, fake Steve, in your world, after Tony's death the Avengers scattered. Then, Loki didn't have to play divide and conquer anymore. He somehow got us all to work for him and then we went to war with each other. Since then, you've been on a mission to kill us all due to some Loki brainwashing power?"

Steve said nothing and Natasha knew that she was right.

Bucky put more force down on Steve's arms now that he knew the man underneath him wasn't actually his boyfriend. "So what do we do? What happens if we…you know?"

"Kill him?" Tony questioned. Bucky's body clenched at even the thought. "Does it disrupt the universes and mess with time and space and all of that nonsense?"

"Well, last time, I killed fake Clint. I think it just continues the Universe he came from without him actually in it. It messes up that Universe but this one remains the same, as far as I'm aware."

Bucky had a sudden thought. "Wait, so where's the Steve from this universe?"

A sudden rattle from the en-suite bathroom sounded.

"Really? All this time?" Bucky chuckled ironically. "Nat, take my place?"

"Not yet, James! We need to…dispose of this Steve before our Steve sees him. It could mess with him. Tony, Clint, can you guys take Steve out back and shoot him?"

"He could overpower us," Clint pointed out. "He may not be our Steve, but he's still a super soldier."

"Good point," Natasha replied, "here…" He quickly whipped out her stun gun and shot Steve in the chest. "That should put him to rest for about…ten minutes. You'd better be quick."

As the boys left with Fake Steve, Bucky turned to Natasha. "I never want to see something like that ever again."

Natasha regarded him seriously. "James…you mustn't think of Steve in that way. Steve loves you and you know that."

Bucky grinned. "I know. We tell him though, right?"

"That's up to you…I'll leave you to untie him. If that's what you choose to do." She winked and left the room.

Bucky opened the bathroom door and grimaced at the sight of Steve. His arms and legs were bound together, thick tape stuck over his mouth.

"Poor little super soldier can't even get out of his binds," Bucky teased as he deftly untied the knot, feeling the pseudo sensation return to his metal arm. Ripping the tape from his mouth harder than was necessary, Bucky pressed a quick kiss to the affected area.

"Buck…what the fuck happened?" Steve blinked, getting used to the light coming in from the bedroom. Bucky smirked and picked him up bridal style, carrying him to the bed. Dropping him gently, Bucky crawled next to him, glad to see that Steve was in his usual half naked state, just one thin layer of material away from all his naked glory. Bucky leaned forward on his elbows and smiled. Laughed.

"You are _not_ going to believe _this_ one."


	5. Take A Breath

Chapter 4- Take A Breath

* * *

"Oh god, what am I doing here?" Steve whispered to himself as the bag was removed from over his head, eyes blurring slowly into focus.

He took a quick moment to look around him.

A table sat in front of him, a chair opposite him that held a figure with a bag also over their head. Just from their lower half, Steve knew who exactly was opposite him.

Bucky.

Bucky was here, too, and he didn't know why.

The last thing he remembered was being injected with something that felt a lot different to the agonising pain of the super soldier serum. This one wasn't exactly pleasant, but it left him feeling heavy and groggy, unable to hold himself up. Against all his will, he slumped against the cold floor of the kitchen at Stark Tower and, suddenly he was here.

And so was Bucky.

He presumed that the same thing had happened to him, considering Bucky's eyes were blinking rapidly, getting used to the suddenly vast intake of light.

"Steve?"

"I'm here, Buck."

"What are we doing here?"

"No idea. Can you move?"

Bucky nodded. "My hands are free, but my feet are bound to the floor and my waist is clamped to the chair."

Steve experimented with his own bindings. "Mine too." Steve tried to look around to see who had removed the bag from his head, but nobody was there. "Will somebody tell us what the hell we're doing here?" Steve yelled, to no response.

"It's no use. Whoever did this to us is clearly playing with us. Just try to relax and we'll try and find a way out of here." Bucky tugged at the chains around his ankles.

" _Welcome. You're here because someone wanted you to be here. They paid very good money to have us bring you here to play."_

"Play? Play what? Who the hell are you?"

" _It's not important who I am. You won't care about in a few minutes when we begin. I must take a second to go over the rules. Steve, please open the box in the center of the table."_

"It's a…oh my god. _That's_ why we're here?"

"Steve, what?"

" _Yes, Steve. You catch on quick. The both of you are going to play a little game for me. I believe you're both familiar with the term 'Russian Roulette'?"_

"Yeah."

"This is sick! Kidnapping us and forcing us to shoot ourselves in the head until one of us dies."

" _Ah, that's where the rules come into it. Since our service works a little bit differently, so does the game itself. Each turn, you're going to point the revolver at the person opposite you and pull the trigger. Then you slide it across the table to the other person. The gun has been manufactured so that you cannot shoot yourself. You have to aim across the table. You can begin whenever you two are ready. Good luck and I'll see one of you later. The other will be stuffed into a body bag and dumped in the river."_

"Steve, there must be a way out of this. If we both think, we can find something that we can do, right?"

"I don't know, this seems so elaborately planned."

"You can't just give up on us getting out of this!"

"I'm not," Steve snapped. "I'm just being calm and realistic, which is what you need to be doing. High emotions aren't going to help anybody."

"One of us is possibly about to be dead, Steve. And the other will be alive with the burden of having killed them. It's a genius evil plan, actually."

"What if…what if we just don't pick up the gun."

Bucky yelped loudly, face scrunching up, contorting into a painful grimace.

" _That happens. We know how much you care about each other, so if you refuse, the other gets shocked. The more you refuse, the more painful it becomes. And it_ will _result in eventual death, but it's much more painful than simply being shot in the head and killed. So think about this logically before you decide to abscond from the game, Mr. Rogers. Okay, now begin. I'm getting impatient to see who I'm going to dump in the river."_

"Okay, that plan is over."

"Not necessarily. Buck, why don't we just not play?"

"And get shocked?"

Steve sighed, trying to keep his calm, collected composure. "It beats having shoot each other."

"Does it? That shit hurts, Steve, I've gone through shock therapy before and this is worse. And if it gets more painful, it's going to kill us."

"So either way, one of us dies."

" _Enough talking! Pick. Up. The. Gun. Steve, you're up first."_

Steve held the gun in his hand, hands trembling. So much for composure.

" _Good. Now aim across the table."_

Steve pointed the gun at Bucky. "Last chance to find a way out of this."

Bucky shrugged. "I don't think there is one."

A tear slipped down Steve's face. "I'm sorry, Buck."

Steve pulled the trigger.

Silence.

Steve released a breath, slamming the gun down on the table. He clenched his fists. "I swear to God, I'm going to find you, you sick son of a bitch!"

"Steve, I'm okay, calm down."

"I can't. I'd happily give up my life for you, Buck, you know that. But what if it doesn't work like that? I can't _kill_ you."

"I can't kill you either. But the only way we save each other is pulling the trigger. Not pulling it ends in us both being dead, so we have to play." Despite the unthinkable situation they had landed themselves in, Bucky respected the strategy behind the game. Whoever organized it knew that they would rather kill themselves than each other. It was perfectly planned.

"So it really is all down to chance?"

Bucky nodded gravely. "I think it has to be."

Bucky picked up the gun, aiming it at Steve.

Then, he lowered it to Steve's chest.

" _You have to aim for the head, Mr. Barnes. If you shoot him in the chest, he'll be left to bleed out and you'll be shocked for breaking the rules. This is your last warning."_

Bucky gritted his teeth and raised the gun once more. "You know if there was another way..."

"I know, Buck. Pull it."

"I've always loved you."

"I know."

Bucky pulled the trigger.

Steve crumpled.

"Fuck. No. Shit, _Steve_." Bucky hoped that he was still alive, but he knew guns, bullets, and wounds well enough to know that that wasn't going to be the case.

" _Quicker than I expected, but the outcome is the same. Congratulations, Bucky Barnes, you are the winner. Please leave the room so we can discard of Mr. Rogers' body_."

Bucky felt the clamps loosen from around his body, silently glad that they kept their word and didn't shock him like his paranoid brain thought might happen. He flitted over to Steve. "Steve, Steve, I can get you out of this, I know I can."

Bucky tugged at the clamps, but they wouldn't budge.

" _There's no use, that won't work. Now I won't ask you again. Leave. The. Room. Now."_

Bucky sniffled, cradling Steve one last time before he ran out of the room.

The door slammed shut behind him.

"Congratulations."

Bucky turned around.

Clenched his jaw.

Looked them dead in the eye.

"This was all you?"

Zemo laughed quietly. "I was providing a service. Like I said, I was paid."

Bucky punched the glass that separated them. Not even a crack.

"You super-soldiers relying on your brute strength. If you'd have kept your heads, you'd have known there was a way out of that game."

Bucky gaped. "What?"

"Under the table, there was a button which released the clamps and shut down the game."

"You're lying," Bucky spat.

Zemo smirked. "I guess you'll never really know for sure one way or another."

Zemo walked away, disappearing into the shadows.

And for the first time in his life, Bucky Barnes was well and truly alone.


End file.
